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Mason County Historical and Preservation SocietyAs of right now, our main focus is the documentation and restoration of Mason County’s cemeteries. A volunteer with our organization can expect to be doing one of these tasks:Locating and mapping lost cemeteriesTranscribing headstonesCleaning headstonesRestoring and resetting broken headstonesFor the first, you will be utilizing deeds, death records, and plat maps located at the county courthouse, as well as existing cemetery books and oral histories. Our greatest asset is the hunter who explores the forest. They’ll be the ones who’ve already found some of the forgotten cemeteries. Once you’ve got a possible location, you’ll be attempting to find it. You’ll want to dress appropriately, because some cemeteries are located well into the woods. Ticks, snakes, and poison ivy are all common dangers. If you can find the cemetery, you’ll map it on either GPS or a topographic map. For the second, you’ll be using forms prepared by the society to transcribe the information on headstones. Most of these cemeteries haven’t been recorded since the 1970s, and even then, it was done incorrectly. The third goes hand in hand with the second. Most headstones, particularly those made of marble, are too dirty to read accurately. Members of our organization will teach you how to clean delicate stones without damaging the inscription. After cleaning, the transcription will be much easier. The fourth is probably the most technical task. Resetting and restoring a headstone takes a lot of time, energy, and money. This isn’t something that can be done alone, and if you do this, you’ll be working with a team of about 5 other people. Whichever you choose to do, you’ll be contributing to a greater understanding of Mason County’s history. Every graveyard and headstone tells a story, one that is only uncovered after thorough documentation and research. After completion, these records will be stored with the society in our archive. Here, it will serve as a vital research tool for people who are trying to find their family’s graves. I look forward to working with you! President of the Mason County Historical and Preservation SocietyChristopher Rizer ................
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